Thursday, May 31, 2012

Presenting: STRING FLING!

Guess what?! We’ve got a cover! Which means ---- It’s time for a preview and pre-orders!

And take a look above --- a new header! I’ve been a busy girl!

This book has been underway for over 2 1/2 years ---long before we ventured forth into string-land with “Roll Roll Cotton Boll” ---I had ideas for this book just running through my mind, using strings in a “not-so-ordinary” way, and pushing the boundaries and opening up the possibilities of making our traditional patchwork much more exciting through the use of string piecing.

The title has sat in my brain for over 2 years too --- and I’d catch my breath when I’d see someone else on the same thought-train and name their quilt “String Fling” --- because that IS what we are doing, aren’t we? Flinging these strings into a beautiful place to land --- just yesterday my copy of “American Patchwork & Quilting” showed up, with a string quilt in it – called, of course “String Fling” also! My big concern was that someone might think I stole their quilt title, or that there might be another book coming out with this name around the same time as mine because strings are so popular right now ---to my knowledge there isn’t. But even if there was, we’d just all join in the String Fling party – because the more strings, the merrier! As the saying goes, “Great minds quilt alike!”

And HERE is our COVER!

OH! I love this cover! My desire was that the color on the front would make this book jump into people’s hands right off the shelf, that they wouldn’t be able to resist --- Did we succeed?

And for a few of you --- I hope this makes you happy to see your comments and testimonials on the back cover:

Thank you for all the wonderful things you’ve said, I’m so happy to have you along on this journey with me!

Without further ado, I’d love to share with you just what you will find within the pages of String Fling—Happy, Scrappy & Loving It!

Blue Skies! 84” X 84”

Charlotte’s Baskets! 53” X 53”

Daylilies! 90” X 90”

Jamestown Landing! 84” X 96”

Orca Bay! 74” X 84”

Pfeffernuesse! 84” X 84”

Pineapple Crazy! 80” X 90”

Roll Roll, Cotton Boll! 85” X 100”

Santa Fe String Star! 72” X 72”

Talkin’ Turkey! 84” X 97”

Tulip Fields! 76” X 84”

Wild Child! 77” X 93”

Zuckerwatte! (Cotton Candy) 60” X 72”

Holy Moly, that’s a lot of string piecing!! And I’m STILL loving it! The book is full of helps, hints, and thoughts from me about how I work and what inspires my quilts. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I honestly think this is the best book I’ve ever had the pleasure to put together with a group of people that I’ve grown quite fond of. It’s pretty rare that an editorial team will stick together the way mine has over the past 4 books --- I’ve had largely the same team throughout and it’s been seamless, continuous, and a real joy to work with them!

I’m not planning a blog tour. I spend enough time on the internet as it is, and it is just one more thing I don’t want to add into the frenzied juggling routine. I will be hosting a giveaway when String Fling is actually IN my hands --- but for now, who wants to simply pre-order? I don’t have a definite date of when this is going to land on my doorstep, we are shooting for “SOMETIME” in July. And I’ll get them out in the order that they were received, working around my schedule.

Click HERE to place your pre-order on-line with a credit card through our secure server!

To order via snail mail with a check as payment, print your order form HERE.

I am asking your help in getting the pre-order word out. Could you link to this blog post on your email lists, your facebook pages, news groups, message boards, twitter, and anywhere else that quilters gather to let them know IT’S TIME?!? I’d so appreciate it!

Bonnie it looks fabulous! I just placed my preorder. Now I need to sew faster so my current project will be finished before it arrives because I know I'll want to start one or more of the quilts in the book as soon as it arrives.

I've pre-ordered my books (I don't have Scraps II yet). I all of the quilts! No wonder I have trouble buying yardage for anything other than backings (and I tend to piece those too). Looks like another great book

What a wonderful way to spice up all those traditionally empty blank spaces in blocks! It also solves the problem of how to quilt a lot of them because you (I!) feel like they should be specially quilted with fancy quilting. Now I wouldn't have a problem with just having a panto design going all over a lot of them!Andrea

Bonnie,I have been coveting your pineapple string blocks ever since you first started showing them on your blog!!! That will definately be the first quilt I do....I can't wait to get this book in my hot little hands. I love every quilt in this book. I don't think I have ever been able to say that about a quilt book before. Please keep designing these great patterns for us. You have a gift and I am so glad you are willing to share it with the rest of us!

I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE your quilts. I can't wait to do the pineapple one. I know this is wishing my life away but I can't wait until November for the next mystery. Thanks Bonnie for keeping my hands busy and me out of trouble(sort of)Claudette

Now I understand the new banner across the top of your blog page. Sorry, I read your posts in order! heheLove the new cover, the new quilts, and to think I know/have made some of them already...to me that is very exciting. Congrats on the book, can't wait to get mine.Faye in Maine.

Oh My Goodness! Love all the quilts and congrats on another great book Bonnie. Jamestown landing or Talkin' Turkey..... I think I need to flip a coin! Thanks for all you do. We quilters really appreciate it. Now... off to pre-order my book!

Yay!! My order is in. I wanted this for Jamestown Landing and Zuckerwatte, but now that I've see more of the quilts, I love Pfefferneuese and Tulip Fields and Wild Child and and and--well, I just cannot wait to get this book in my hands. I also put the link on my FB page. Hope you sell gazillions!

AAAAhhh, Love it, Love it, Love it! & U of course 8^}What a good way to put to use all those hems, collars and cuffs!The frugal girl in rainy Amsterdam is going Dutch, you're guessing right! Good to know I still use the seam ripper to de-bone the shirts, LOL! *strings playing at the table*You'll have my order one of these days!Hugs from Holland, Irene

Ordered my copy, can't wait to see it! I hope I can find time to do some of those quilts when it comes. If not, this winter for sure. Right now it's Iris farm workout for me.But, then I have monies for more fabric (and vintage machines, thanks to you I'm now addicted to those too!) Bonnie,email me for a great source for padded envelopes, you're going to need a lot of them for this book! noll7@yahoo.comDeb

Wow! I am still amazed at all that you can get done...teach, travel, write the books, do the mag articles, host the quilt mysteries etc.. do you ever sleep? You are definately an inspiration! Can't wait to add this book to my collection. Congragulations-

String Fling is a must have book for me! Even if I never get around to making a quilt from any given book, I enjoy looking through my stacks of books and quilt magazines often. This is my one vice! When will your book be available for purchase?

CONGRATULATIONS!! You work hard and you do good work and I'm so glad this book came together for you. I think I'll be separating brown and neutral strings for Pfeffernuesse! starting tonight. Enjoy your success! Because when you succeed, we all succeed. Lane

I ordered a book earlier today and I will post a link to help spread the word latter. I have already decided that there are at least five quilts in the book that I want to make.Congratulations on another best seller!

I love the book. I have been saving strings for awhile now and I have one diamond project underway. But I have one question. How small of strips are to small? What size do you keep what do you just toss out. I have a ton of 1" strips.

I love the book. I have been saving strings for awhile now and I have one diamond project underway. But I have one question. How small of strips are to small? What size do you keep what do you just toss out. I have a ton of 1" strips.

I'll tell you, I even use selfedges in the strings section =^}!!!! this reply is not from Bonnie, bur from Irene from Amsterdam / Netherlands !!!! I even use hems and collars, as long as there is at least 1/4 inch left to show; the quilting, backing and selfedges will keep them together.

Congratulations Bonnie! You are a true inspiration to us all. Before I found you on facebook, I was very set in my ways. I am now enjoying the freedom of playing with my scraps in new and wonderful ways. I love your philosophy on cutting it smaller if its still ugly. I owe some of my most beautiful quilts to your inspiration and designs! Big hugs for you!

Oh my Goodness!! (As Shirley Temple would say) What a beautiful book. I can hardly contain my excitement. I just received my Quilters 100 blocks with your Talking Turkey pattern yesterday. What perfect timing to see it in print in your new book. Thanks so much for all you do. You have definitely made me a better quilter (and a happier one :)

if you want to check it out. I also included the FIVE quilts that I have made so far, from Leaders & Enders. You write books faster than I can quilt! But the star quilt in this new one is calling my name!Thanks for being such an inspiration!

These quilts are amazing and gorgeous and SO MUCH FUN! Thank you for all the time and work you put into creating wonderful quilts for us to drool over, and maybe even make. I have to tell you, this will be the first quilt book I've ever bought, where I have already made two of the quilts! That's kind of fun, too!

I love it. Strings are my absolute favorite. I never had heard of them before Roll,RCB. Now I can't wait until this book gets here. I loved the Lone Star. I just need to finish one of them. LOL. Even if I never end up finishing one, the journey with this wonderful group of people has been totally out of this world. It is anticipation time again!!!

Oh no!! I am already behind on Bonnie blue quilts. I'm assembling the rows for BRB, cutting pieces for My Blue Heaven, and bought the magazine for Jamestown Landing (even knowing I probably wouldn't get it done before it came out in the book lol)! And now Bonnie has done it AGAIN... Blue Skies. Thanks, Bonnie. Love the new quilts. This is going to be GREAT!

My kids will be thankful you've got another book... means it's easy for them to buy a gift for Mom. You were holding your breath, etc., whenever you heard or read "string fling" from someone else. Well, I had to smile when I read the "wild child" name for one... because that's what I call my quilts that have no reason nor rhyme but kinda design themselves as I go along. I use it in fond memory of a dear friend who's passed on... he used to like to tease me about being a hippy/wild child. :)

Bonnie...wow!!!! I'll add this link to our next guild newsletter this book is sure to fly off the shelves. I can't wait to get my hands on it! I love Leaders and Enders and this is sure to become my next favoriteCarolyn

Bonnie-Congratulations on your new book. I knew red prints had to be in one of them. Your turkey tracks turned out beautiful. Looking forward to do strings as this will be a new lesson to learn. Thanks for all of your ideas and inspirations. Joyce from Iowa

I think your names crack me up! in a good way!! I just love the stringy thing and someday hope to actually have scraps to make these with!! only 1 year of quilting sure does not produce that many scraps! Oh, why oh, why do I have to like the scrappy look better??? I need to find places that will sell me 'ugly' boxes of nothing but stringy scraps! If you have anywhere in mind PLEASE let a gal know!!! Thanks!!

Bonnie, I love all of your books but this one really hits the spot! I LOVE string quilts! I can't wait to get this book; thank you for such terrific patterns! I have put your book cover and all of the quilts on my pinterest quilts board! http://pinterest.com/clardina/

Woo hoo! I have ordered and put a link on my blog so my friends will know about this upcoming book as well (although, probably all of my readers are also your readers...) Looking forward to it. Pre-orders are so fun because you forget that you ordered it and then one day, wow! Awesome mail day!

Bonnie, I just joined your email list last week, ordered your book yesterday, and now I need to start reading your previous blogs! Love your previous books!Many Happy Scrappy days to you!Jodyjcarter551@hotmail.com

I am wanting to make your spiderweb quilt. http://quiltville.com/spiderwebpf.html Is that pattern in one of your books or do u have templates to print? Is the only way to get the template is to make them myself? I never seem to get the pattern right when I do it myself. I dont even try anymore. Ive made such messes making my own... I love your quilts and your books. Thank you for sharing your talent with us. Pat dvrich@bellsouth.net